OneUnited Bank Announces its 11th Annual “I Got Bank” 2021 Youth Essay & art Contest Winners

Winners Shared Family Conversations About Money

BOSTON, MASS. – OneUnited Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in the U.S., is proud to announce the winners of its 11th annual “I Got Bank! Youth Essay & Art Contest.” Each of the ten (10) youth winners is awarded a $1,000 savings account.

The winners are Travis Brown, 8, Hialeah, Fla.; Gilana Freeman, 12, Dallas, Tex.; Ariel Hartman, 10, Tamarac, Fla.; Amel Johns, 12, Washington, D.C.,; Jackson Lennox, 12, Sunrise, Fla.; Aziza McKay, 10, Dorchester, Mass.; Ada Nazneen, 10, Rocklin, Calif.; Kylie Thurman, 9, Miami, Fla.; Shalena Prakash, 11, Duarte, Calif.; and Christian Turner, 9, Los Angeles, Calif. Each winner expressed how their families encouraged them to learn about money and how to use money for a purpose. The panel of judges included Teri Williams, the bank’s President & Chief Operating Officer.

Williams, who wrote the book I Got Bank! What My Grandad Taught Me About Money (Beckham) after she discovered the lack of books geared toward educating urban youth about financial literacy, stated, “This year we were excited to see and read how children are obtaining knowledge about money and sharing financial experiences with their families. Congratulations to our winners and their families for making financial literacy a core value.”

The “I Got Bank!” youth essay & art contest is part of a larger OneUnited Bank initiative to make financial literacy a core value of the Black community. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, OneUnited Bank offered a free copy of the I Got Bank book on their website to assist parents who are homeschooling their children. To learn more about past I Got Bank winners, please visit the OneUnited Bank Financial Literacy Blog.

OneUnited Bank has also launched its Financial Education Center with online playlists on Financial Basics, Major Life Decisions, Starting a Career, Small Business and Preventing Elder Fraud. OneUnited Bank hopes its efforts will improve the financial skills of children and adults throughout the country.